ILI9163C TFT LCD controller pinout

The ILI9163C is a small-panel TFT controller with parallel and serial host interfaces. The DT018ATFT uses it with a 128 × 160 panel.

DT018ATFT · FPC-45

45 contacts Current package

ILI Technology ·

DT018ATFT · FPC-45 pinout

DT018ATFT · FPC-45

Use the pin-1 marker in the DT018ATFT dimensional drawing and verify the mating connector contact side.

Selected pin details

26 · DB5

Bidirectional · Data

Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.

Displaytech DT018ATFT Rev. 1.0, §§ 5 and 7–9, and SEACOMP DT018ATFT 3-wire SPI connection example.

Electrical limits · Link to this pin

All 45 pins

Pin	Signal	Direction	Function
1	LEDA Supply input	Supply input	Common anode for the two white backlight LEDs.
2	LED K1 LED cathode	LED cathode	First LED return. Use a separate current-limited branch.
3	LED K2 LED cathode	LED cathode	Second LED return. Use a separate current-limited branch.
4	IM0 Input	Input	Host interface selection strap. Tie low for the 3-wire SPI circuit.
5	IM1 Input	Input	Host interface selection strap. Tie low for the 3-wire SPI circuit.
6	IM2 Input	Input	Host interface selection strap. Tie low for the 3-wire SPI circuit.
7	RCM0 Input	Input	RGB versus MCU interface selection strap. Tie low in the documented 3-wire SPI circuit.
8	RCM1 Input	Input	RGB versus MCU interface selection strap. Tie low in the documented 3-wire SPI circuit.
9	SDA Input	Input	Serial data contact in the RGB mode configuration. In the manufacturer’s MCU SPI fixture this contact is grounded.
10	VCC Supply input	Supply input	Panel supply. The datasheet lists 2.8 V typical.
11	GND Supply return	Supply return	Connect to host ground.
12	RD Input	Input	Parallel read-enable input. Ground in the documented serial circuit.
13	RS Input	Input	SPI clock in 3-wire mode. Command/data select in parallel mode.
14	DB17 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
15	DB16 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
16	DB15 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
17	DB14 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
18	DB13 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
19	DB12 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
20	DB11 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
21	DB10 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
22	DB9 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
23	DB8 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
24	DB7 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
25	DB6 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
26	DB5 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
27	DB4 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
28	DB3 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
29	DB2 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
30	DB1 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Parallel display data. Ground this contact in the documented SPI configuration.
31	DB0 Bidirectional	Bidirectional	Serial data in MCU SPI mode. Also the least-significant parallel data bit.
32	TE Output	Output	Tearing-effect synchronization output. Leave open if unused.
33	RES Input	Input	Active-low reset. Assert during panel initialization.
34	CS Input	Input	Active-low chip select.
35	WR Input	Input	Parallel write strobe. Tie to ground or VDDIO when unused, as permitted by the module datasheet.
36	PCLK Input	Input	RGB pixel clock. Ground when unused.
37	DE Input	Input	RGB data enable. Ground when unused.
38	HS Input	Input	RGB horizontal sync. Ground when unused.
39	VS Input	Input	RGB vertical sync. Ground when unused.
40	GND Supply return	Supply return	Connect to host ground.
41	VDDIO Supply input	Supply input	Logic supply for the host interface.
42	NC None	None	Reserved contact. Leave open.
43	NC None	None	Reserved contact. Leave open.
44	NC None	None	Reserved contact. Leave open.
45	NC None	None	Reserved contact. Leave open.

Signal assignments

3-wire display SPI

CS selects the device, RS carries serial clock, and DB0 carries a 9-bit word with the command/data bit first.

Parallel MCU bus

Use the datasheet’s IM strap and data bus table for the selected parallel interface width.

Electrical limits

Parameter	Limit	Conditions and source
Panel supply2.5–3.3 V	2.5–3.3 V	2.8 V typical at 25 °C. The manufacturer’s 3-wire fixture uses 3.3 V on VCC and VDDIO. Displaytech DT018ATFT Rev. 1.0, §§ 5 and 7–9, and SEACOMP DT018ATFT 3-wire SPI connection example.
Panel pixels128 × 160	128 × 160	Match the DT018ATFT initialization and address window. Displaytech DT018ATFT Rev. 1.0, §§ 5 and 7–9, and SEACOMP DT018ATFT 3-wire SPI connection example.
Backlight branches2 × 20 mA typical	2 × 20 mA typical	Use constant-current drive for normal operation. The manufacturer also documents a resistor-limited quick test. Displaytech DT018ATFT Rev. 1.0, §§ 5 and 7–9, and SEACOMP DT018ATFT 3-wire SPI connection example.

Models and documents

The physical map covers the 45-contact DT018ATFT flex cable. On this panel, the manufacturer hardwires the controller’s SPI4 selection, so the documented serial option uses 3-wire framing.

DT018ATFT: Displaytech 1.8-inch 128 × 160 TFT module.

Displaytech DT018ATFT manufacturer documentation· Displaytech DT018ATFT Rev. 1.0, §§ 5 and 7–9, and SEACOMP DT018ATFT 3-wire SPI connection example.
ILI9163C controller datasheet· ILI Technology ILI9163C v0.09, interface selection and serial transfer sections, hosted by SEACOMP.
DT018ATFT 3-wire SPI wiring· SEACOMP’s 45-contact connection table and resistor-limited backlight test.